WESTON — The recent past — and perhaps future — of the Weston High School cross country and track programs shined Saturday at the 22nd annual Weston Memorial Day Weekend 5K road race.

James Bloom, a three-time indoor Class S state champion for the Trojans and recent University of Rhode Island graduate, won the race for the first time with a time of 17:10 (5:32 mile pace).

Bloom, 23, prevailed despite not waking up until 7:45 a.m. and having to hustle over to the high school for the start of the race at 8:30 after his alarm clock did not go off.

"I haven't eaten or drank anything," said Bloom, who finished third in 2011 and second in 2013. "I feel terrible."

Perhaps more impressive, however, was the performance of 12-year-old Ryan Rupprecht, who finished 11th among a record 680 runners in the 5K race with a time of 18:47, which was just two seconds behind female winner Meredith Anand, 36, of Easton.

A sixth-grader at Weston Middle School, Rupprecht hopes to run cross country and track for the Trojans when he gets to high school.

Rupprecht, who also does ski racing and plays soccer, runs five or six days a week, counting his soccer practices.

"I play many others sports that keep me busy and strong and I think it really helps me with everything else I do," he said.

Saturday's event attracted a total of 880 participants, which included 200 for the kids fun run. That latter number more than doubled last year's turnout of 89.

"It's like the most well-run road race I've ever been to," said Bloom, who starting July 1 will be working and running professionally for a family-owned running store called Gubbins Running Ahead in the Hamptons on Long Island.

The race is Weston High School's largest fundraiser with funds going to current and future school enhancements and educational initiatives.

A total of $41,000 was raised last year and organizers were hoping to bump that amount up to $50,000 this year.

The race is the unofficial start of the Memorial Day weekend celebration in Weston, which culminates with a parade on Monday.

"It's popular because it's a very rural setting," said race chairman Roberto Ordonez, whose son attends Weston. "Bucolic is a word they use to describe Weston and there's a lot of families.

"We're a small town and it's a community event really supported by the town. The families get to participate. The parents are running and the kids are having fun in the fun run."

One tradition is for Weston football players to run in the race and 15 team members took part in Saturday's race.

"We support a good cause," said wide receiver Jason Lawrence, who participated for the third time. "It's good to do it as a team for team spirit. We all run together at the same pace."

Bloom, who ran cross country and track at URI for five years, was the Rams' top miler and earned All-New England in the distance medley relay.

With graduation putting his running briefly on hold, Saturday was his first race in 1 1/2 weeks and he ran with a tight back, in addition to an empty stomach.

"It was what it took to win," Bloom said. "I was by myself the entire race. I just wanted the prize money ($100 for first place). It will hold me over for a few days."

Stephen Vento, 21, another former Weston standout who runs track at UConn, placed fourth in a time of 18:18. Vento won the race in 2013 (15:45).

Anand, a native of Maine who moved to Connecticut in 2007, also is no stranger to the Weston 5K race, finishing as the top woman for the fourth time after a string of three straight wins row from 2010-2012.

She did not do the race the last two years after giving birth to her third child.

"It was a tough start," she said. "I felt like I went out really fast, faster than I wanted to, and the wind was a little tough in the finish, but I just plugged along.

"There was a big group of kids, especially this one little kid in front of me (Rupprecht) who was amazing. When I picked it up, he'd pick it up, so we had a fun little exchange going on."

Travis Taylor, 19, completed the top five with a finish of 18:26 while Emily Zavinsky, 29, also of Wilton, was second among women (20:15).